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Physiological responses of mangoes cv. Kensington Pride to gamma irradiation treatment as affected by fruit maturity and ripeness
Author(s) -
BOAG T. S.,
JOHNSON G. I.,
IZARD M.,
MURRAY C.,
FITZSIMMONS K. C.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1990.tb06597.x
Subject(s) - ripeness , climacteric , biology , ripening , gamma irradiation , horticulture , irradiation , respiration , ethylene , botany , endocrinology , biochemistry , physics , menopause , nuclear physics , catalysis
Summary An investigation was undertaken to examine responses of mangoes cv. Kensington Pride to irradiation treatment. Gamma irradiation of preclimacteric fruit increased fruit respiration immediately after treatment, delayed the time to attain the climacteric respiratory peak and reduced the magnitude of this peak rate. Fruit softening was unaffected whereas skin colour development was strongly inhibited by irradiation treatment. Inhibition of skin degreening was half‐maximal at a dose of 200 Gy. Exposure to ethylene failed to reverse this inhibition. Less mature fruit were more strongly affected by irradiation treatment. Fruit which were partially ripe and in their climacteric rise at time of treatment were largely unaffected by irradiation. These results are discussed in terms of the utility of irradiation technology for commercial disinfestation.